Even as early as the year 1900, different researchers had reported the finding of the organic phosphate compound phytic acid, i.e., 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakis (dihydrogenphosphate) myo-inositol (also sometimes called inositol-hexaphosphoric acid) in plants. The content of phytic acid in different plants varies considerably. The content in grain is usually approximately 0.5-2%, with certain exceptions. Polished rice has a level of only 0.1% while wild rice contains as much 2.2% phytic acid. Beans contain about 0.4-2%, oil plants approximately 0.2-5% and pollen 0.3-2% The content of phytic acid in the plant varies during the growth period. The content is also influenced by, among other things, the climate.
In the literature there are reports on the presence of inositol pentaphosphate (IP.sub.5) and inositol tetraphosphate (IP.sub.4) in a few plants. It is further known that phosphate derivates lower than IP.sub.6 are formed at germination of grain. For instance the final products at the germination are inositol and phosphate. The use of IP.sub.6 has been described in several scientific publications. The majority of the authors of these articles have observed several negative effects on humans and animals when consuming IP.sub.6 or substances containing IP.sub.6. Feeding dogs too high amount of IP.sub.6 gives rise for example to rachitis. In humans lack of zinc and as a consequence thereof slower growth of children has been observed. Anemia has been observed mainly in women. Because of the above mentioned negative effects on the mineral balance in humans and animals, attempts have so far been made to reduce the intake of IP.sub.6 and its derivatives to a minimum.
Furthermore, it is known for instance from Bull. Ste. Chim. Biol. 36,9 (1956) p. 85 to hydrolyse phytic acid with diluted hydrochloric acid at an increased temperature to obtain a mixture of lower inositolphosphates, i.e. IP.sub.5, IP.sub.4, IP.sub.3, IP.sub.2 (inositoldiphosphate) and IP.sub.1 (inositolmonophosphate). Each of these inositolphosphates can be present in the form of many isomers. Up to 20 isomers can be expected for IP.sub.3.
One specific isomer of IP.sub.3, i.e. D-myo-inositol-1.4.5-triphosphate has been reported in Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 120,2 (1984), page 481. This compound is known as an intracellular calcium mobilizer in the human body and it can readily be isolated from cell membranes.
Nothing is known about the properties of any other of the specific isomers of the different inositoltriphosphates in pure form. Thus, it is so difficult to separate the large number of IP.sub.3 isomers from each other, thereby identify and define the structural formula of each isomer and its properties. Up to the present there is no known method for producing or obtaining any single isomer of IP.sub.3 other than the aforementioned D-myo-inositol-1.4.5.-triphosphate. Further in a process for the production of IP.sub.3 which includes a hydrolytic system, a re-arrangement of the isomers and/or a further dephosphorylation to IP.sub.2, IP.sub.1 or inositol must be considered as special problems.
Due to above difficulties there are no data on specific IP.sub.3 isomers in substantially pure form other than the above-mentioned D-myo-inositol-1.4.5-triphosphate.